♪ theme music ♪
(Derek) Welcome to Hope Sabbath School,
an in-depth, interactive study
of the Word of God.
I'm excited about the topic today as we
continue our series through The Psalms,
Worship That Never Ends.
What a great topic,
and I know you'll be blessed,
so welcome to Hope Sabbath School.
Welcome to the team,
good to be together again.
Take a look at each other and wave.
We represent the whole world,
and I'm excited that John's going
to be leading our study today.
What a great study,
Worship That Never Ends.
We've also got some remote team members
with us today, always happy to have them.
Heide, good to see you again,
glad you're with us.
Leeah, great to have you
on the team today.
And, Travis, always good
to have you with us.
I'm so thankful for our remote team members
as well as the team here in the studio.
But I'm thankful for you, too,
because you are part of our global family.
And when you answer a question,
when John asks and you
raise your hand, you're part
of that in-depth, interactive study
of the Word of God.
We're always happy to hear from you,
and here are just a few emails
we've received recently.
Kanchele writes from Zambia.
Do we get a lot of emails from Zambia?
Kanchele writes and says,
"My name is Evangelist Kanchele,"
now, that's significant as I read on,
"from Zambia, in the western part that is Mongu.
Hope Sabbath School has changed my life
in so many ways,
and Hope Sabbath School is one
that made me to be an evangelist!"
(Team) Praise God.
(Derek) "I love the way
the Bible is presented.
God bless you, Hope Sabbath School," and we say...?
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) Isn't that amazing?
You've got an evangelist
in Western Zambia who was encouraged
to serve the Lord
through Hope Sabbath School.
Thank you for writing to us, Kanchele.
Here is another note.
This one is from Mozambique,
and the person writes and says,
Joaquim from Mazambique,
"Hello, Pastor Derek
and all the Hope Sabbath School team!
First, I want to make it clear
that I'm not good in English.
I'm from Mozambique, so the main thing
that I appreciate in the program
is how you make the Word of God
so easy to understand.
May God bless you all, Joaquim." Amen?
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) Well, we're glad.
We just launched
a Hope Channel in Mozambique,
and actually our Portuguese-speaking channel
in Brazil, Novo Tempo, helped launch
the channel in Mozambique. Amen?
We're all working together,
so really exciting to hear
what God is doing.
Well, here's a hand-written note
from a donor couple in California
in the United States, and they write
and say, "We always enjoy listening
to Hope Sabbath School
and seeing your faces.
All these years we feel like
we know you all.
You all make Hope Sabbath School
flow easily, and we share your thoughts
with our own Bible class
here in California," and a donation
of 400 dollars to bless the ministry
of Hope Sabbath School. Amen?
I want to say thank you, donor couple,
you know who you are.
And thanks to each one of you,
because we're all part
of this miracle of God
called Hope Sabbath School.
It's a donor-supported ministry.
Thank you to this couple,
but thank you to you, too.
You can go to our website,
hopetv.org/hopess.
Maybe someone just left you
an inheritance, or you see
that you have 30 dollars a month
that you could set aside
for laying up some treasure in Heaven.
Go to the website, click on Donate,
and say, "Thank You, Lord,
for what You're doing
through Hope Sabbath School."
Well, one last note,
from Rosemary in Arkansas
in the United States of America.
Rosemary says, "I love Hope Sabbath School
because of the...," what do you think?
Diversity, "...diversity of the group.
I learn a great deal, every program,
and I love the Scripture songs, too.
I've been watching so long,"
writes Rosemary, "I feel like you're family.
Thanks for all you do."
Well, Rosemary, thanks for writing to us,
and actually, you said you like the songs,
we need you to help us sing
the theme song today.
Could you do that?
But before we start the music,
I just want to give you another reminder
about a wonderful collection
of Trilogy Scripture Songs
from the Psalms; there are six songs
including our theme song from Psalm 105.
And you can just go to our website,
hopetv.org/hopess,
click on the Free Gift tab.
If you don't know how to do that,
ask a youngster in your family to do that,
and they'll find it there and download
that collection of six songs.
You can share those with friends.
Hide God's Word in your heart,
including our theme song, and God will
bring that to your remembrance.
The Holy Spirit will help you
when you need to remember those words.
Right now, we're going to sing
one of those six songs, from Psalm 105,
"Oh, give thanks to the Lord."
Let's sing together.
♪ music ♪
(Derek) I just love that song, don't you?
Three thousand years old
but a new melody, and what a beautiful way
to begin our study.
John, thanks for leading us in prayer.
(John) Thank you, Pastor Derek.
Let's pray as we begin.
Loving heavenly Father, thank You so much
for this time You have given us as we are
coming to the tail end of our study
in the book of Psalms.
I pray, dear God, that we
will go away praising You
and singing praises to You, even now.
I pray these things
in the name of Jesus. Amen.
(Derek, Team) Amen.
(John) In the book of Psalms,
we have been looking at how these psalms
have been used in worship services
of the sanctuary back then.
And even here at Hope Sabbath School
we put new tunes to these psalms
and we sing them.
And in our study, we're going
to look at worship itself.
While psalms are being used
in worship services, today we're going
to be looking at worship itself.
And here at Hope Sabbath School,
we consult the Bible for what worship is,
and not culture in general,
and we praise God for that.
So before we begin, we want
to define what worship is,
and so the question to you:
What is worship?
What do you think worship is? Jason?
(Jason) When I think about it,
it really just comes
to how we conduct ourselves.
In the way we conduct ourselves,
whether through thought, actions or words,
we're basically honoring God
in all those aspects
and giving honor to His name.
(John) Giving honor to God's name. Yes.
(Scott) Ultimately worship is God-focused
and not self-focused.
(John) God-focused, not self-focused. Pedro.
(Pedro) It's the way that we can
respond to God and His love.
There is nothing I can give to God
other than to worship Him.
(John) A response to God's love.
(Derek) So, we're all talking about God,
but people worship all kinds of things.
Some people worship idols,
some people worship movie stars,
some people worship themselves,
so I think at the very fundamental level
worship is ascribing worth,
value, to something.
And supreme worship, of course,
only one Person deserves that,
and that is God Himself.
We ascribe worth to Him
when we worship Him.
And I certainly agree
that can be in our words,
in our actions, in our thoughts.
But we need to, like you said, focus
on worship of God, because people
can worship other things.
(John) And just to follow your thought,
Pastor Derek, there is someone
who said that worship is
to see what God is worth
and to give Him what He's worth.
(Derek) Beautiful.
(John) To see the worth of God
and to give all that is worthy to Him.
So, at the University of Denver,
they released a study about communication,
and this is what they said.
They said, "Communication consists
of 55 percent body language,
38 percent paralanguage,
and 7 percent verbal content."
So, there is a lot
of nonverbal communication
that happens when we speak,
and so with worship, gestures and posture
also play a role in worship
because they communicate to God
what we want to express.
And so, we're going to look
at one of the gestures
that the Bible talks about
which is lifting up our hands in worship.
Now, we're going to see what the Bible
has to say about it.
If I can have Lilica please read to us
from Psalm 134 and verse 2,
Psalm 134 and verse 2.
What does the Bible mean when it talks
about lifting up our hands to God?
(Lilica) I'll be reading
from the New King James Version,
Psalm 134, verse 2:
(John) Okay, thank you, Lilica.
So, here in this text, what does
lifting up the hands mean. Yes, Pedro.
(Pedro) To worship God, to bless Him.
(John) Okay, to worship God,
to bless Him. Scott?
(Scott) I was going to say the same thing.
Verse 1 says, "Come, bless the Lord,"
and that gives us the context of verse 2.
(John) That's right, to bless the Lord.
And in talking about context, Scott,
here the context is those who are
ministering in the temple are called
to lift up their hands and bless God.
Now, this gesture expresses adoration,
and this gesture indicates the object
of praise is God and not ourselves,
and that the entire person is involved
in worshiping God
or giving praises to God.
Let's look at another text,
Lamentations, chapter 2 and verse 19,
Lamentations, chapter 2 and verse 19.
And if I can have Jason please read that for us.
(Jason) It will be my pleasure.
Lamentations, chapter 2, verse 19, says:
(John) Okay, thank you.
So, here what is the meaning
of lifting ones hands toward the heavens,
in Lamentations? Yes, Jason?
(Jason) It seems like a cry out,
like desperation, like, "Lord," you know,
giving up yourself, surrendering
in a sense, I'm taking from that text.
(John) Okay, so in Psalms we're seeing
that lifting up our hands means
to praise God, to give Him glory,
but here in Lamentations we're seeing
out of desperation
we're crying out to God,
and we want to receive help from Him.
And so, what we are beginning to see
is that lifting up hands
means different things
in different contexts, but all of that
is focused toward God.
To Him we praise, and He is
the object of worship, and He is
the giver of all blessings
and the answer to our prayers.
Let's look at one more verse,
in the New Testament, 1 Timothy,
chapter 2 and verse 8, if I can have
Scott please read that for us,
1 Timothy, chapter 2 and verse 8.
Paul is instructing his, if I can use
the term, young intern Timothy
how one ought to conduct himself
in the house of God.
(Scott) Yes, it says:
(John) Okay, so we see,
not only in the Old Testament
but also the New Testament, in the church
we find that lifting up of hands
is being allowed.
Lifting up of hands is being allowed.
So, question, is it fine for us
to lift our hands in worship? Yes, Scott.
(Scott) I was raised in a setting
where people were rather skeptical
of lifting hands.
They associate it
with Pentecostalism or other things,
but when I read the Bible,
I don't find that there.
Lifting hands is biblical,
and so it's not a habit I was raised with,
but it's something that's biblical.
(John) Yes, Tendi.
(Tendi) Like you said,
lifting up your hand
depends on the context.
If you're in church, and the pastor
is preaching, for example,
you cannot lift your hands;
you need to be reverent.
But if there is worship, if there is
a song that compels your spirit
to lift your hands, then you can.
(John) Okay, you used
a very important word.
Here actually in Timothy, Paul talks
to Timothy about the importance
of reverence in God's house.
And so, lifting up hands
is not supposed to be irreverent.
It should not be irreverent;
there should be reverence
that should be entailed
along with that. Pastor Derek?
(Derek) And also in the Sermon
on the Mount, Jesus says in anything
to do with worship, whether it's
prayer or fasting or whatever,
don't do something
to draw attention to yourself.
I'm thinking of the my wife's grandmother
who was from China, and she would
kowtow when she prayed.
You know what kowtowing is, right?
But she wouldn't do that on a platform
or in front of everybody.
She would do that when she
went to her closet to pray,
because it was part of her culture.
It was her way, actually,
of showing reverence to God in her culture.
But I think the principle
in the Sermon on the Mount is that we
are sensitive that we're not just becoming
the center of attention, drawing attention.
Jesus talks about praying
on street corners so that you
can be seen by people.
(John) That's right, and we'll go
to that verse, Pastor Derek,
but I want to take a few comments.
Pedro and then Travis.
(Pedro) I see the importance here
of giving blessing and receiving blessing.
Obviously, God is inviting us,
I found it fascinating, inviting us to bless Him.
It's a practice we might not partake of
with our hands and our actions.
I see our hands as surrendering,
and when I look at Timothy here, there is
the aspect of lifting up your hands
in a negative way,
There is a positive way
of lifting up our hands
and a negative way.
And we should say,
"My works are of the Lord," as I think
that's what we're seeing here.
[Paul] is saying, "I'm worshiping You
by saying my actions are Your actions."
And that is important for us to understand
the context that we're in,
like drawing attention to God
and not to ourselves.
(John) Exactly, something
that Pastor Derek said,
and you are repeating, Pedro,
which is important, is context.
We need to know where we are
and what we're doing,
and why we are doing it.
And not just because everyone is doing it,
but the reason why it's
being done. Travis.
(Travis) I was just going to say
what Pastor Derek said.
If we're praising God and not trying
to draw attention to ourselves,
I don't think there is anything wrong
with lifting your hands to heaven
in adoration to God.
(John) Okay, so the Scripture is clear
that lifting up our hands
to God in prayer is fine.
And one Bible scholar writes
that it's not a prescription,
but the Bible is describing
that it is allowed.
But if a person doesn't do that,
that doesn't mean that God
is not being praised or that God
is not answering their prayers either.
And so, there is room for both.
Now, there are times
when lifting up our hands to God
is inappropriate, or other ways
of doing it, and, Pastor Derek,
you alluded to it.
Let's go to Matthew, chapter 6,
verses 5 and 6; if I can ask Puia
to please read that for us.
(Puia) Sure, and I'll be reading
from the New King James Version,
Matthew 6, verses 5 and 6:
(John) Thank you, Puia.
So, question: Are there times
when lifting up our hands
is not appropriate?
What do you think? Yes, Scott.
(Scott) Worship is one of those things
that has a significant cultural element
to it, and with a worldwide audience,
there are different people
who feel different ways about it.
And I think, as Derek mentioned,
sometimes if we insist on expressing
worship the way we're comfortable with
in a setting where the people
around us aren't comfortable
with that same expression, it can cause
distraction, even if it's not intentional.
And it can cause trouble
that doesn't need to be caused.
(John) Okay, a distraction, a distraction
where the focus is not so much on God
but more about what I am doing.
And that's what these Pharisees
were doing; they would stand
on street corners, and they
would pray aloud because they wanted
others to know, "See how righteous I am."
And if those kinds of attitudes are
what we have when lifting up our hands,
that is to be avoided. Yes, Pedro.
(Pedro) And I see the importance
for us to care for others; Jesus told us
to love others as ourselves.
And drawing attention to ourselves
in a room and saying, "Well, I'm
doing this for God,"
is not about the people around me.
And God says to care for those around us.
We are our brother's keeper.
In the same way, if we're
seeing someone doing it,
remember it's your brother, your sister.
Don't rebuke people for no reason.
If they are adoring God, allow them
to worship God with their hearts.
(John) Exactly. Yes, Stephanie,
you seem to have something to say?
(Stephanie) I was just thinking that it's
really a principle; it's a matter
of principle that whatever we do,
we do it to honor God in worship.
That's the principle.
(John) Exactly. And Leeah.
(Leeah) I think it's very true
that sometimes how we conduct ourselves
physically in worship can be
a distraction to others.
But I've also found that sometimes
it can be an encouragement to others.
Sometimes people are ashamed
that, you know, maybe they want
to lift their hands,
but they're uncomfortable doing so.
So maybe sometimes our expression
can give other people the freedom
to express themselves
before the Lord as well.
(John) Amen. Yes, Nancy?
(Nancy) It has to do with our attitude.
If we have an attitude of worship,
then yes, I think it will be noticed
by those who are around us.
But the most important thing is for us
to truly be honoring God in our worship.
(John) Amen. Travis, I saw your hand.
(Travis) I was just going to comment
on what was mentioned earlier
about principle, and I think John
the Baptist clearly held this principle
in high regard, and it's John,
chapter 3:30, and he says, "Jesus
must increase, and I must decrease."
So understanding who God is
is really essential
and I think is the principle.
It's not about us; it's about Jesus.
(John) Right. Pastor.
(Derek) I just want to affirm
what Leeah said, because if a person
is leading worship and they're frowning -
you talked about body language -
and it's like, "Let's rejoice in the Lord."
And people are like, "I don't believe you.
You don't look like you're rejoicing."
So, I don't want to be the focus
of attention, but I do want,
as Jason said earlier, my whole body
to communicate how great God is.
And I think that's where we're just asking
the Holy Spirit to guide us
as to what is an appropriate way
with our words, with our body language,
with the way that we say those words
to really honor God.
(John) Exactly. What's amazing
is that the Bible is very balanced.
It's giving room for...If you want
to express your praise to God,
your prayers to God,
using your hands is absolutely fine.
But on the other hand, it is
important that we don't have
a self-centered attitude
or even at times borrow from culture
the practicing of waving hands
and lifting up our hands
and saying that we're praising God,
but it's really coming out from culture.
But it ought to come
from the sole purpose of praising God
and offering to God our praise.
Puia and then we'll go to the next point.
(Puia) Yes, I just wanted to highlight
also the point from Matthew 6
where we read, Jesus, I believe,
differentiated the way
you worship God individually
versus in a group, right?
So, I think it's important to be mindful
about how we worship God
when we come as a group.
But when you go into the closet,
and you pray before God,
lift up your hands, and maybe you want
to move around as you pray.
Sometimes I pray while walking,
so I think you can differentiate
between individual worship
versus group worship as well.
(John) Thank you, Puia.
So we're having a lively discussion here
about lifting up our hands. Stephanie?
(Stephanie) Something else
that came to my mind is, really, we're
the only ones that know
if our relationship with God
is allowing us to truly honor Him
when we're doing anything in worship.
So, it's very difficult to be able
to judge someone's motives.
And that's hard, right?
But really we need to pray that God
will use that person,
wherever they're at, and trust
that God will lead them.
(John) Sure. Thank you all
for your comments.
And maybe those of you who are watching
either on YouTube or on TV, you know,
write down what you think
about this topic on our YouTube channel
or Facebook page, or email to us
what you think about this topic,
because you are also part
of this discussion.
Let's go to our next topic here,
praising the Lord with our whole hearts.
If I can ask Nancy to please read to us
from Psalm, chapter 9, verses 1 and 2,
Psalm, chapter 9, verses 1 and 2.
(Nancy) I'm reading
from the New American Standard Bible:
(John) Okay, thank you.
So, here the psalmist is saying
that he will give thanks to the Lord
with his whole heart.
So in contrast, is it possible
to give thanks to God half-heartedly?
(Team Member) Sure.
(John) For sure, right?
What does it mean, actually, to praise God
with our whole heart?
What does that look like practically? Stephanie?
(Stephanie) I feel like it means
a full surrender to Jesus.
We're fully surrendered to Him,
and so we're giving Him praise
with all of our heart.
He has everything of us.
(John) Okay. Heide?
(Heide) I think that he's answering it
right here in this verse
because he's telling you, "I will tell
of Your marvelous works."
In other words, share what God
has actually literally done in your life.
And he's also telling you,
being glad, that's a way that we are
praising the Lord with our whole hearts,
just by continuing to be full of joy
amidst the trials of life.
We're also praising the Lord by singing;
he's telling us this is another way
that you can praise Him and worship Him.
So he's telling us right here
what we need to do.
(John) Okay, thank you, Heide. Puia.
(Puia) I just wanted to comment
that sometimes life can be difficult,
and we may not be able to give praise
to God with all our hearts
and with joy and gladness all the time.
But I think the key point is
to just come to God.
Just come to God and come to Him
with your trouble, and as Stephanie
pointed out, surrender
your troubles to Him.
And I believe that's the key point
about praising God with our whole heart.
(John) I want to focus on something
that you said, Puia, "Just come to God."
You know, sometimes when we recognize
that we are not wholehearted
in wanting to worship God
or wanting to follow His truth,
the amazing thing about God
is that you can be honest to Him about it.
And we can say, "God, I don't feel
like I'm doing this wholeheartedly,
but please help me do it,"
and God will help you do it.
And those moments when you are
vulnerable with God are when you
can get closer to Him. Pedro.
(Pedro) It is important
to also look at the context here.
David is praising God
amidst the death of his son.
I'm not sure if it was Bathsheba's child
or Absalom; I believe it was
Bathsheba's, her son.
And look at ourselves.
Imagine, I'm willing to say,
"God, You are worthy,
even in my most tragic moment," wholeheartedly.
There are people today
who have sentiments, "Why did God
allow my child to go through this,
or someone that I love, or the pain
that I'm suffering right now?"
And God says, "Come to Me."
(Derek) Wow, that's so powerful,
because my whole heart
could be a broken heart,
but I come to Him in total surrender.
That's a beautiful thought,
and it's something I long for, John.
I long to just let go of all of my fears,
not worry about what people think,
and just worship God with my whole heart.
(John) Powerful. Lilica?
(Lilica) The very thought
of being vulnerable before God
is worship Him with your whole heart,
because you open your heart.
You're being naked before Him.
David is the one that is called
a man after God's own heart.
Every single time you see
in the Old Testament...
I have in the back of my Bible, written,
the times where David is mentioned
during the kings of Judah,
and it says that, "This one followed God
as David did follow God
with all his heart,"
something like that; I'm paraphrasing.
But it mentions that the king
followed God as David followed God
with all his heart.
It's being open; tell God,
the One who only can see.
I love what John Bunyan,
if I'm pronouncing it right, who wrote
the book The Pilgrim's Progress, said,
"It's better to have heart without words
than words without heart."
When we come before God, speak it,
whatever it is, say it.
And that is what He is concerned about.
(Derek) Praise God.
(John) Amen. Tendi and then we'll
go to the next verse.
(Tendi) I learned today
that when you trust,
a hormone called oxytocin is released
into your system, and it's
the same hormone that's released
when you're in love
or when you do something with a purpose.
And I believe worship, when you worship
God with your whole heart,
that hormone is released in your body,
and it shows in your countenance
that you're worshiping God.
So, that's what worshiping
with your whole heart means to me.
(John) Okay, so there is
a deep connection with our spirituality
and even our own bodies, right?
And there are studies which say
that people that attend religious services
are actually much more happy,
and they are able
to overcome negative thoughts.
And so maybe there is someone
who is watching, and you don't care
about God or the Bible, but you are
in a quandary in your own life.
I want to assure you that if you
begin praising God,
attend church services, that your life
will completely turn around.
(Team) Amen.
(John) Let's go to another verse,
Psalm 113, verses 1, 2 and 3.
If I can have Heide please read that
to us, Psalm 113, verses 1, 2 and 3.
(Heide) I'll be reading
from the New King James Version, and it says:
(John) Okay, there is a lot of praising
going on in these verses,
and in verse 3 the psalmist says,
"From the rising of the sun
to its setting," that's
pretty much our whole day, right?
And, I mean, you're at work,
you're at school, maybe you're
a homemaker, you're just doing different things.
How are we, twenty-first century busy people,
supposed to praise God
from the morning until the evening?
How does that practically happen? Lilica.
(Lilica) As a Pathfinder, we have one
of the laws that says
to have always a song in your heart.
You may be singing, even if you
are not expressing it aloud.
(John) Okay. Yes, Nancy.
(Nancy) It reminds me of my grandmother
who used to always be singing hymns
as she was cooking.
I have that memory of her, as a child,
and, yes, she was a very positive and gentle person.
And I think when we fill
our hearts and our minds
with the words of God, it helps us.
It helps us through anything.
(John) Singing, singing whether you
are working, doing schoolwork
or humming a song.
You can probably memorize
the Scripture songs that we play here.
What do you think, Pastor Derek?
(Derek) Well, I think so, and God
has given us the ability to do
more than one thing at the same time.
Nancy gave an example,
while her grandmother was cooking.
You can be driving to the office
or driving to school, and you can
be praising God at the same time.
You're still watching the road,
but God has given us that ability.
And I think when the psalmist says
in Psalm 16, "I've set the Lord
always before me.
When He is at my right hand,
I will not be moved," will not be shaken,
that tells me I can praise God
at all times, like the text says,
while I'm going about my regular day.
(John) Okay, and song plays a huge role,
singing and music play a huge role,
which we will come to in a bit. Puia.
(Puia) You asked, John,
about the practical application
in the twenty-first century.
For me, in the morning
when I get up, what helps me is
listening to gospel music,
and before I go to bed I read a Bible text
or listen to a podcast,
and I fall asleep with it.
And I believe that sets the tone
for my morning and evening.
(John) Okay, so you begin the morning
praising God, focusing your mind on God.
You think through what you read
in the Bible or what you listen to in a sermon,
and you go to bed, falling asleep
thinking about God, you know,
that constant communication with God. Pedro.
(Pedro) I see the importance here
as well for actions.
God says in the fourth commandment
"In six days you shall labor
and do all your work," but the labor
is continuing to be reflecting
the character of God.
Everything I do; I drive on the road;
am I reflecting Jesus?
It's worship, my actions.
We talked about hands earlier;
my actions can be put into worship,
how I treat others;
that's an act of worship.
"If you have done it others, you have done it to Me," is an act of worship that God
is inviting us to do, so actions play a huge role in that.
(John) ...In whatever we do,
we can worship God.
You know, if there is a job given,
and you do that job well,
you do that job with integrity,
that is worship to God.
That is praising God.
I mean, the Bible says
that whatever you do,
do it all for the glory of God, right? Yes, Tendi.
(Tendi) You could also worship Him
with your personality.
Be a loving and lovable Christian
to be around; that is worship.
(John) Okay, being a loving and a lovable Christian.
Now, some of you talked about singing
through the day or using music
through the day, humming a song,
singing a song, listening to songs.
And let's see what the Bible
has to say about the role of music
and singing in worship.
If I can have Tendi please read to us
from Psalm 33, verses 1, 2 and 3,
Psalm 33, verses 1, 2 and 3.
(Tendi) And I'll be reading
in the English Standard Version,
Psalm 33, verses 1, 2 and 3:
(John) Okay, we see that when the psalmist
is writing, there is a lot of happiness
surrounding him, right?
And it says that musical instruments
are being used in worship.
There are lyrics being used in worship.
You know, music plays an important role
in worship, and specifically the types
of music we listen to enhance
our frontal lobes, and it has
biological implications, too, right?
It has both negative and positive effects.
Songs that are based on Scripture
and music that is based
on the principles of Scripture
truly help us to worship God
in the right way, right?
And, Stephanie, you seem like
you have something to say.
(Stephanie) I just saw in verse 3,
it says, "Play skillfully
with a shout of joy."
There's this sense of peace,
of contentment and satisfaction in Jesus,
so again, pointing to Him.
(Derek) John, you know my wife
likes to write Scripture songs
and put them to a melody so we can sing.
Sometimes she'll see maybe a CD
of Scripture songs, but they
plug in the harp, and they crank
the decibels up so loud that you
can't hear the words,
and it's hurting your ears.
I think the principle there again
is the instrument and the volume of it
and maybe how it's played
also pointing to God,
or is it a distraction.
A person says, "Well, no instruments;
we just sing a cappella."
Well, like you said earlier,
we certainly have permission
to use the 10-stringed instrument, right,
but we always make sure that the product
of that is glorifying God.
(John) Exactly. Yes, Pedro.
(Pedro) And I see in the text here, Derek,
it says, "Play skillfully,"
even, "with a shout."
You know, I'm not just going to yell.
It's skillfully use your shout, and I see
choruses from different parts of the world
that give that emphasis
on that beautiful voice tune
that God has given us.
(John) Puia?
(Puia) A few years ago, I had
the privilege of doing evangelism
in India, and I was invited to preach
in a prison, and I was a bit unsure
about what I was going to face.
And so the guards escorted us
inside the prison, and they
seated us in the chapel.
And then the prisoners started coming in,
and as we started singing I was surprised.
These prisoners had given their hearts
to Jesus, and they praised God
with all their hearts.
We sang songs that we
normally sing in our churches,
but the level of commitment
or the level of joy that they expressed
as they were praising God with the songs
just moved my heart.
It tells me that when we
talked about freedom, it's not
really where you are at, is it?
It's where your heart is.
(John) Powerful. Yes, Pedro.
(Pedro) I just mentioned
wholeheartedly singing, right,
that they are praising God, and I had
a similar experience as well going
to visit a very high facility near my house.
And I saw men singing with their hearts,
hugging each other, praising God
because God has changed their hearts,
and a heart change, praise God.
(Team) Amen.
(John) Let's look at two more verses
in the book of Psalms,
and I want you to observe,
there is a phrase that is repeated,
and I want you to observe that phrase.
If I can have Stephanie please read to us
Psalm 40 and verse 3,
and after which if Leah can please read
Psalm 98, verse 1.
Psalm 40, verse 3,
and then Leeah Psalm 98, verse 1.
(Stephanie) And I'll be reading
from the New King James Version:
(John) Okay, a new song. Leeah?
(Leeah) I'm reading
from the English Standard Version,
Psalm 98, verse 1:
(John) Okay, what is the phrase
that is being repeated?
(Team) A new song.
(John) A new song, a new song.
And so, while it is good that we use
the book of Psalms to make new songs
or give new tunes to them
with the same old lyrics,
but the Bible also tells us
that we can write new songs.
And in the last study,
we talked about journaling.
Pastor Derek, you talked about how you
were inspired to journal.
And maybe God is calling some of us
to write of our experiences
with Him in songs. Yes, Pedro.
(Pedro) I find it fascinating,
I'm originally from Brazil,
and recently in Brazi,l in our church,
changed the hymnal.
They updated the hymnal
with new songs, and it was
a very exciting experience
because now we have different songs
that people have been singing
that now have been added to the hymnal.
So it's easy access to people,
and they have added
a little section just for the kids,
and my daughter sings them.
So, she loves to go through that section
of the kids songs inside the hymnal,
and she feels part of that book as well.
It's not just, "Oh, the old hymnal,"
it's now, "It's my hymnal."
(John) One thing that I love
to do with hymns
is to see the story of the hymns,
as to why this hymn came about.
And the famous song Amazing Grace,
the back story is really powerful
of John Newton as to why he wrote
the story and what is his experience.
And the Bible also talks about singing
a new song because of a new experience,
and let's read about that
in Isaiah, chapter 42.
If I can have Scott please read to us
from Isaiah, chapter 42, verses 10 and 12.
Isaiah, chapter 42, verses 10 and 12,
talks about singing a new song.
(Scott) And I'll be reading from the ESV:
And verse 12:
(John) Okay, and if I can have Lilica
please read to us from Revelation,
chapter 14, verses 1, 2 and 3,
Revelation 14, verses 1, 2 and 3.
And we find that not only here
on this earth are we to write
new songs of experience,
but in the end, when everything
is said and done, there is going to be
a new song that is going to be sung.
(Lilica) I'll be reading
from the New King James Version,
Revelation 14, verses 1, 2 and 3:
(John) Okay, now why is it that no one
was able to learn the song
but the 144,000? Yes, Pedro.
(Pedro) I think when we sing songs,
we want to sing songs
that relate to our experiences, right?
And we see in the world today
people are attached to the songs
that relate to their own experience.
And there in Heaven, we are singing
a song that relates to our redemption
and how God saved us from our sins.
And we're celebrating
that beautiful victory, that God
has conquered for us.
And the angels have never
experienced that, so they will be silent.
They're not going to sing something
that they have not experienced.
So, it's important for us to also learn
that as we go on our journey,
seek songs that elevate God and bring us
closer to Him into our journey.
(John) Okay, so music and songs help us
express our experience in words
and also our emotions.
And here the 144,000 are expressing
their emotions and their experience
through the music and the lyrics of that song.
And the text actually kind of hints
as to what the theme of that song will be.
If you see towards the end of verse 3
it says, "No one could learn that song
except the 144,000
who had been redeemed from the earth."
So, it's going to be a song of redemption
that the 144,000 will sing.
Lilica and then we'll move on.
(Lilica) As we speak about the new songs,
like, what is wrong with the old songs?
People ask us, "What is
your favorite song?"
And you say, "It's this, but it was
the other one before,"
depending on the context.
In the Pathfinder Law, when you study
about having a new song in your heart,
we learned that singing, as praying,
is an act of worship.
So, a new song, why?
Because of the new experience
I'm living with God.
I'm expressing it into words as I pray,
I don't go praying and repeating
the same prayer every single day,
right, as with singing.
A new song is a new experience.
(John) A new song and a new experience.
Alright, let's move on,
but before we move on, maybe you are
looking for good quality Christian music.
And as Pastor Derek said, you can claim
our free offer with this study,
but also check Hope TV where there is
going to be singing
and good quality Christian music
that can enhance your worship towards God.
Let's go to the next part of our study,
declaring God's glory among the nations.
And if I can have Leeah please read to us
from Psalm, chapter 96, verses 1 to 13,
Psalm 96, verses 1 to 13.
It has some very interesting phrases
which parallel with the book of Revelation
which we will see.
(Leeah) And I'll be reading
from the English Standard Version,
Psalm 96, verses 1 through 13:
(John) Alright, powerful.
There is a lot going on in this passage,
but I want to ask, what message
is the psalmist calling us to proclaim
to all nations here? Scott.
(Scott) Yeah, he's telling us to tell
the other people about God,
who God is, what He's about,
His righteousness, His justice,
His judgment, His glory,
all these different things.
Tell people about God.
(John) Okay, tell people about God,
and he is inviting the entire nations,
he is inviting the entire earth
to do so. Travis.
(Travis) I'm thinking of Revelation,
chapter 18, and it says
that the whole earth
was filled with His glory.
The glory is the goodness of God.
In the psalm that was just read,
we see that, in all its attributes,
whether it's His creative power,
His redemptive power, His mercy,
His grace, that is what God wants us
to proclaim to the world.
And that story will be told
in its fullness before Jesus comes.
(Team) Amen.
(John) Heide.
(Heide) Oh, when I was looking
at this psalm, it just really reminded me
of Revelation, chapter 14,
the three angels' messages where I see
that he is proclaiming to everyone
centuries before the Apostle John,
John the Revelator, ever wrote,
that we have a Creator
and He is worthy of our worship,
and that He is going to come,
and that He is going to judge the earth.
And I see him calling us to worship
this mighty powerful Being.
(John) Amen. Stephanie.
(Stephanie) I was thinking
that this psalmist, when they
were writing it, understood
the character of God.
They had experienced it.
It's that new song.
They knew Him, and therefore they were
able to tell of His glory.
It wasn't an old song.
(John) And talking about glory,
we want to just see what this glory means.
If I can have Lilica please read to us
Exodus, chapter 33, verses 18 to 23.
You know, this glory that God wants us
to proclaim to all the earth,
what is the glory of God that we are
called to share as an act of worship?
(Lilica) Exodus 33?
(John) Verses 18 to 23.
(Lilica) 18 to 23, I'll be reading
from the New King James Version:
I will add chapter 34, verse 6.
(John) Alright, so chapter 34 and verse 6.
In the next chapter, Moses continues
to expand on what this glory means.
Alright, Lilica, chapter 34 and verse 6.
(Lilica) Verses 6 and 7
from the New King James Version:
(John) Okay, to glorify God
is to glorify His character, right?
So, through our singing, we ought to let
the world know about the character of God.
But moving on, Jesus talked
to the woman at the well,
and He told something really powerful.
And if I can ask Scott to please read
to us in John, chapter 4, verses 23 to 24.
And Jesus is talking to this woman
at the well about worship
and what worship should entail.
(Scott) Okay:
(John) Okay, so if a person says
that "I'm worshiping God," or if a church
claims that they are worshiping God,
they ought to worship God
in spirit and in truth,
but what does that mean, to worship God
in spirit and in truth? Puia?
(Puia) I believe it's important
to make sure that our reasons
for worshiping God is in line
with the way the Holy Spirit works.
It's not just an outward performance
or vain repetition,
but it's an inward alignment
with the Holy Spirit, allowing
the Holy Spirit to come into our hearts
and worshiping Him according to the Word.
Because, according to Jesus,
the Word of God is the truth,
so worshiping in spirit and in truth.
(John) Okay, so if a person says,
"I'm worshiping God," they go
to a worship experience,
but they are not moved by the Holy Spirit
to make changes in their life,
if they are not prompted to obey
the Word of God, then that is something
to be doubted, right?
And so, our worship experience
should always be in alignment
with the truths of the Word of God
and also in following the promptings
of the Holy Spirit.
We're not only going
to be singing songs now, but also forever,
and let's read about that.
Let's go to Isaiah, chapter 66,
verses 22 and 23.
Stephanie, if you can please read to us
in Isaiah 66, verses 22 to 23.
(Stephanie) And I'll be reading
from the New King James Version:
(John) Wow. I have experienced
one of the most amazing experiences
of listening to Handel's Messiah music.
I once went for a sing-along;
it was glorious, you know,
so many instruments, so much singing.
But imagine going to Heaven,
it's your first Sabbath there,
the angels are singing, and they are
playing musical instruments.
And voices from around the world,
different languages - there is nothing
to compare to what is going to happen.
You know, God is calling us
to worship Him and Him alone, where we
take our focus from ourselves
toward God, now and forever.
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) Thank you so much, John.
That's a powerful study,
Worship That Never Ends.
And I appreciate the fact that we realize
that in different cultures
people may worship in different ways.
They may sing different songs,
but the common thread is it's all
pointing to God, glorifying God,
praising God, and telling other people
about the awesome character of God.
That kind of worship is worshiping God
in spirit and truth.
Let's pray together.
Father in Heaven, we know the psalms,
down through the centuries,
were used in worship,
both before the coming of Messiah
and since the coming of Messiah,
reminding us that worship
is something that You deserve.
You are worthy of all of our worship.
And I pray that in all of our worship,
we would be guided by Your Spirit
and guided by Your Word and set free
from all of those traditions
and past experiences that hold us back
from worshiping You in spirit and truth,
is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) Thanks for joining us for Hope Sabbath School.
You say, "Derek, that's challenging,
to look and say, 'What of my past
is just tradition or habit,
and what truly honors God
and glorifies His name and shows
His glory to those around?'"
Let's worship like that
and go out and be a blessing
to those around you.
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